


Lover of lost days

by CollapsedEmpire17



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Falling In Love, M/M, Repressed Memories
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-14
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2020-03-05 13:40:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18829786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CollapsedEmpire17/pseuds/CollapsedEmpire17
Summary: Oh Sehun, a young male who had a bright life ahead of him, ends up on the streets after getting into a fight with his girlfriend and kicked out of her house. Not wanting to go to his family, he seeks help from a former friend, Junmyeon, to whom he hasn't spoken in over 4 years, who gladly invites him to live with him in his house until he'd find a solution to his problem. But things get complicated once Sehun discovers old roots to Junmyeon and repressed memories, and realizes he might not want to return to his girlfriend.





	1. Chapter 1

The empty streets made Sehun feel uneasy as he walked across them, hands in his pockets and eyes wandering around him. He was previously living with his girlfriend, a nice girl named Areum. He had moved in with her 1 year after they began dating. Two nights before, a fight ensued between them after the male had gotten drunk; his girlfriend didn't like it, always having had a problem with drinking, and thus scolded him. Being drunk, Sehun was triggered pretty easily, and so the fight went. Thankfully, for both him and Areum, he didn't hurt her physically. But the conflict was so nasty that she kicked him out immediately, not even giving him time to take his belongings except his wallet with documents and the phone. No longer was he drunk: he had slept on a bench for a few hours, enough for the alcohol effects to disappear. Now homeless, he more than surely also lost his job, since (guess what?) he was working at the girl's father company. He could of course go to his parents, but he didn't want to; the last time they had talked they had an argument, and while his parents might had forgotten him, he was ashamed to talk to them.

 

Those streets were unknown to him, as it was a part of Seoul he never got to visit. Having no idea where he was heading, he just walked, his mind empty. What was he going to do? Perhaps his girlfriend would call him to return, maybe she had forgiven him? But every second that passed slowly ripped that hope away from him. 

 

The time was 3 at night, no one was around, and no shops were open. The male stopped by a big house. It had a big yard and looked pretty good. For a second, the thought of him breaking in went through his mind, but he was no criminal, and certainly wasn't that desperate. As his thoughts got him locked in place, staring at the house, a car showed up, stopping there. Sehun turned towards it, and quickly covered his eyes with a hand as the car lights hurt his eyes, which were currently adjusted to darkness. All he could think was that he was going to be accused of trying to break into that house, which was even worse when he thought that the one who stopped could be the owner themselves. The car door was heard opening, and before the male got to look, his hairs stood up as he heard a familiar voice call out his name.

 

"Sehun? Is that you?" The person called out. While the voice didn't quite give away who they were, Sehun knew when he got to look at them. It was Junmyeon, a former friend of his. 

 

"Hi, Junmyeon." The male replied, a glint of weakness in his expression that caught the other's attention.

 

"Are you alright? What are you doing out here at this time?" The older pulled out a remote that opened the gates to his yard.

 

"I'm, uhm... I got in trouble.." The words came out hardly, the male scratching the back of his head.

 

"Oh, no. Come inside, we'll talk there."

 

After parking his car inside the yard, Junmyeon gestured for Sehun to follow him inside the house, where they went in the kitchen. Sehun sat down at the counter, taking a deep breath and thinking for a way to lay out everything to the other.

 

"Want anything to eat?"

 

The male wanted to refuse, but his stomach hurt due to hunger, so he had no choice.

"Sure, anything will do."

 

The older looked into his fridge, grabbing some ingredients before beginning to prepare an omlette for Sehun.

 

"So, what happened?"

 

"I had a fight with my girlfriend and got kicked out since it was her house. I was working at her dad's company so I most likely got kicked out of there too."

 

"Sounds terrible. How about your parents?" Junmyeon asked as he placed the omlette on the stove and began stirring it.

 

"I can't go to them. They live in Ulsan. And the last time I saw them we had a fight. They most likely are mad at me."

 

"No, I doubt that. Every parent forgives their child. I'm sure they had gotten past it.. But I understand you might be ashamed of going to them after having a fight. Don't you have an apartment or something?"

 

"No.. Sold mine after moving in with my girlfriend.." A powerful ache struck the younger's stomach, and he audibly grunted. Junmyeon proceeded to put the omlette on a plate and gave it to Sehun, along with a fork. It had bell pepper, salami and cheese in it, just perfect to eat when hungry. The male didn't hesitate to eat out of it, his stomach aching once again in response to the food.

 

"Have you tried calling your girlfriend after leaving? Or did she try to call you?"

 

"No.. I thought she would, but I lost hope in time." The pain faded away, and his stomach began to accept the food. He already felt much better.

 

"You're staying here then." The older spoke firmly, placing a glass filled with water on the counter, near the male.

 

"Thanks, but I don't think it would be alright. Your girlfriend probably wouldn't agree.

 

"What made you assume I have a girlfriend?" The older smirked, dragging a chair and sitting next to Sehun. "You're staying here. I can't just let you go back on the streets."

 

Sehun didn't feel worthy of it. They hadn't spoken in nine years, nine years in which he hadn't thought about Junmyeon once; and since he remembered vaguely, it could be even more than that. Yet, they just met again, and Junmyeon was willing to help him immensely. 

 

"I don't want to be a burden to you. Thank you, but I'll be fine." The younger tried to resist, but Junmyeon's will was eventually stronger.

 

"You'll be anything but a burden. Don't worry, we'll find a solution and you'll be gone, if that's what's you want. It's no problem though for me, you'll stay here as long as you need."

 

Sehun nodded, sighing as he finished eating.

"Fine.. Thank you. I owe you one." He drank the glass of water in one go. "You have no idea how good it feels to have something in my stomach."

 

The older male patted Sehun's shoulder, nodding and giving him a smile. "No problem. And I assume it does feel good. I suppose you might be tired? It's 3 AM, so.."

 

"Yes, I really am."

 

"Alright then. Come on, I'll lead you to my room." Junmyeon gently grabbed Sehun's wrist and took him upstairs.

 

"Y-your room? I can sleep on the couch you kno-"

 

"No way I'm putting you to sleep on the couch. Feel just at home, alright?" Sehun didn't feel like arguing and just went for it. He was getting more and more tired and already knew he couldn't change the other's mind.

 

His eyes went wide when he entered the bedroom; it was nicely decorated, modern, and spatious. Was Junmyeon this rich? And if so, how come he was alone? The older noticed the awe in his look, letting out a small laugh that broke Sehun out of his trance.

 

"Make yourself comfortable. Don't worry about a thing, alright? Good night." Were Junmyeon's last words before leaving the room.

 

Now left alone, Sehun looked around the room, walking over to a drawer to examine the objects on it. A framed photograph lied in the middle of it; in it was Junmyeon, along with his father. The male was much younger when it was taken. His father was dressed in a suit. It was then a memory struck him like thunder: the other's father had become CEO of a big company at some point during their friendship. That explained why he lived in such a fancy house. He tried remembering why they hadn't spoken in so long, but nothing came to his mind. Assuming it was due to him being fatigued, he decided to just go to sleep. He really needed rest. He had no idea where to place his jacket; no hanger was in the room as long as he saw, so he decided to fold it and afterwards placed it on the floor. Taking his shoes off, he climbed in the bed and closed his eyes, covering himself with a blanket. It was really comfortable, surely more so than a couch. In about 5 minutes, he fell asleep.

 

The male woke up, yawning and unusually stretching his body, a few of his bones cracking. Outside was sunny. He had no idea what the time was, so pulling his phone out to check the clock was the first thing that came to his mind. The device showed 2 PM, which surprised Sehun. He had slept for quite some time. Completely forgetting about the jacket he left to lay on the floor, he grabbed his sneakers and went downstairs. As sleepy as he was, he rubbed his eyes so they wouldn't close, and looked around for the other male, who was nowhere to be seen. Not inside, at least. Sehun spotted him through the entrance hall window; he was outside, working in the garden, which surprised the young male. If he remembered well, Junmyeon was not that hard-working when they were younger. But people change. The male was about to move from the window, but got locked in place when he saw the older take off his shirt. A soft chuckle escaped his lips before he moved along. Why did he chuckle? He wasn't sure himself. The bathroom was just as modern as the bedroom and every other room the male had got to see, and space wasn't missing either. Remembering how Junmyeon told him to make himself at home, he eventually got off his clothes and stepped into the shower. After about 15 minutes, the male lied against the wall, letting the warm water flow on his body as he had fallen into thoughts. He quickly flinched when a voice could be heard from outside the bathroom.

 

"I left you some fresh clothes at the door. I will be outside if you need me." Soon enough, the older's footsteps could be heard departing, until a door was opened and closed. 

 

Sehun sighed, his hands hugging himself softly as he looked down at his feet. It felt weird, being there, and how things had turned out. As much as he wanted to go back to Areum, he tried not to think about her. He needed some time to calm down, since he still felt a disturbance in his being. If she wanted him back as well, she was going to call, sooner or later. For the male, one thing was certain: it was her fault. She was the one who overreacted when he got drunk. Had she let him alone, no fight would have occured. He understood that he broke her trust as well; she did tell him when they first got together that she didn't like drinking and was expecting him not to do it, but there was no need for her to start a calamity. But what was done, was done, and there was no going back. Only forward.

 

Shortly after drying his body with a towel, the male peeked his head out the slightly opened door. Junmyeon wasn't around, and he spotted the clothes laying down on the wooden floor right next to the doorway. After getting dressed into them, he made his first steps out of the bathroom. The shirt that was given to him was slightly oversized, the sweatpants were just good. Junmyeon had also left him some socks and trainers; his ones were dirty enough for him to not wear them. That guilty feeling struck him again. Did he really deserve all that, when he didn't think of the other in all those years? 

 

Left with nothing to do, Sehun had no choice but to go outside. It was really warm, and that explained why Junmyeon took off his shirt. He sat down on a beach chair that was placed near the garden, and watched the older male do his thing.

 

"Have you slept well?" Junmyeon asked, taking his eyes from the soil to look at Sehun while he'd respond, perhaps to see if he lies.

 

"Actually, yes, which surprises me, since I usually can't sleep for the first time in new places." They both laughed. "Did you sleep well though? I don't think you are used to sleeping on the couch." Sehun asked the male in return.

 

"Yes, don't worry. It doesn't really matter to me where I sleep."

 

"Good. Uhm, listen.. I wanted to thank you, for, you know... everything? Not everybody welcomes a person who they haven't seen in almost a decade in their house to sleep there." The younger's voice slightly cracked as the words came out hard for him to say. 'Thank you' was always a hard thing for him to say, for whatever tedious reason.

 

"It's my pleasure. And you are my friend. We have been really good friends before. I couldn't let you down. I never would."

 

"But.. I haven't thought about you ever since we last saw each other. I feel ashamed, but I felt you should know."

 

"So? It's alright! You are a great person. I'm more than sure you worked hard to get where you wanted and that filled most of your time. Just don't stress so much, okay? I told you and I will further tell you all this is alright every time you bring it up."

 

Sehun couldn't help it but laugh.

 

"You are one persistent person."

 

A laugh escaped the other's lips as he put down the tools he was using and left the garden, making his way over to the younger male, sitting on a chair next to him.

 

"Come here." He spoke softly, holding out his arms. With just a bit of hesitation, Sehun leaned forward into Junmyeon's embrace. It felt warm and good; no other hug he had had with someone in lots of years had ever felt that good.

 

After a few moments, Junmyeon broke the hug, getting up and grabbing his shirt. He put it back on and closed the garden porch.

 

"How about we head inside and eat something?" 

 

"Sounds good." Sehun spoke in a careless tone, getting up from the chair. He made his way inside along with the other, getting into the kitchen and sitting down after being gestured to by Junmyeon.

 

"I'll make some fries." The older male grabbed a sack of potatoes and got some out, beginning to prepare them.

 

In the meantime, Sehun thought about the hug, and all of a sudden, another memory struck him. It was of him and Junmyeon. They were hanging out in a park, in what seemed like an evening in the male's mind; the more he processed the memory, the more details appeared in his mind.

 

"Thanks for helping me with those guys. I almost got beaten by them." Spoke Sehun, looking at Junmyeon with an awkward smile. He had remembered the conversation: his friend had saved him from some bullies and then they retreated to the park for some silence.

 

"No problem. I couldn't just let them harass you. You don't deserve that."

 

"How come?"

 

"You're a wonderful person, and the best friend I've ever had." The words had come out of Junmyeon in a surreal way; for a moment, the young male thought it was all a creation of his imagination, but quickly became certain that it was an actual memory.

 

"You flatter me. You're also the best friend I've ever had. You take my sarcastic shit without getting upset at me."

 

"Because I know it's part of you, and you are a good person behind all that. Though reducing it a little would be nice, don't you think?" They both laughed, before looking at each other.

Before the memory could continue, Sehun was stolen from his thoughts by the male.

 

"You're pretty quiet compared to when we were younger." Spoke Junmyeon, placing the fries on the stove.

 

"Yeah, I guess I am. I can't really put up sarcasm to you after what you did for me. It would be rude." Sehun shrugged.

 

"Coming from you? Nah, it would be anything but rude. I miss the times when we were young, but we have reunited now, so it's alright." The younger male bobbed his head in agreement.

 

Sehun was about to say something, but quickly stopped himself when Junmyeon's phone rang.

 

"Excuse me." He apologized before picking it up, and began talking. He finished talking in about 2 minutes or so- Sehun didn't really care to keep track of it.

 

"It was a girl, asked if she could come over today. I accepted, but don't worry, she won't be staying too much."

 

"I thought you said you don't have a girlfriend?" The male asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

"Well, I can't really call her a girlfriend. We just started dating recently. Nothing too serious so far."

 

"If you say so." Spoke Sehun, trying to sound like he didn't care; he turned his head away and rolled his eyes. Something seemed to bother him about it, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. But what was surely going to bother him was that he was most likely going to feel extra when the girl would be there.

 

"There you go." Junmyeon handed the younger a plate of fries, and placed his own next to it. He went to the fridge right after, pulling out some ketchup and pouring some over his fries. "Use as much as you want. If you want. Of course."

 

Sehun used the ketchup too, then began eating. They were really tasty, and he couldn't help but smile.

"You're not a bad cook at all. Last night's omlette, these fries.. My mother used to slightly burn the fries when I was younger." He laughed.

 

"But I hope you appreciate the fact that she tried." The older said, looking at Sehun.

 

"Huh?"

 

"She tried everytime to give you what you liked, even though she couldn't do it well, and even though you most likely criticised her."

 

"Yeah, I kinda did. But you're right. She always did her best for me to be happy." He began feeling bad all of a sudden, but quickly shook away any sign of it and softly punched the older's arm. "Stop messing with me."

And they both laughed.

 

 

A few hours later, a car stopped in front of the house. The boys were in the living room, watching TV. Junmyeon got up and told Sehun who it was, before leaving. The young male felt like going, but knew he had no business and it was the best for him to just stay out of the two's "relationship". Around 5 minutes passed, and the male was already wondering what was taking them so long. And so they came inside the living room. He turned automatically as he heard the footsteps, and looked at the female. She looked young, perhaps around 25. Her hair was blonde, surely dyed. Her eyes were hazel, and her lips were slightly bigger than what he usually saw. A bad vibe came from her, but obviously only he could feel it. But he was certain of it because he hadn't felt it in his girlfriend when he met her.

 

"Hi! You must be Sehun!" The girl said, her tone overly cheerful as she walked over to him and shook hands. "Junmyeon explained everything to me, it must really suck."

 

"Yeah, it does." His teeth clenched lightly. What happened to him wasn't her business at all. He wasn't annoyed at Junmyeon for telling her, but at her for giving her opinion on it.

 

The living room had three couches, one facing the television and two on the sides. The female sat down on the right side one, and as soon as Junmyeon took a seat next to her, she grabbed his hand and smiled.

 

"My name is Ji Yoo. It's nice to meet you." She added, giving Junmyeon a kiss on the cheek afterwards, which almost made Sehun frown.

 

"Nice to meet you too. Um, I'm going to be upstairs if you don't mind. I'll leave you to your business." Sehun spoke, getting up and leaving before they got to say anything.

His mind was cloudy; the girl really bothered him. Shortly after he left, she talked, which made him silently stop on the stairs to listen.

 

"I know what you're doing is nice, but are you sure he's to be trusted? What if he steals something and just leaves?" Ji Yoo said, giving the male a concerned look. The younger mouthed a 'what', his brows arching into a frown.

 

"He wouldn't. I know him since we were little. He'd never do that. I assure you." Junmyeon spoke firmly, confident in his words. Sehun smiled lightly without realising.

 

After going upstairs, he just sat on the bed in the older's room, staring at the ceiling as he thought. As much as he tried, he couldn't continue the memory of him and Junmyeon in the park. He was still confused though, not understanding why memories came to him all off a sudden. Maybe they resurfaced simply because he had met with Junmyeon again; he did forget about him completely after they stopped talking. His best bet was to try and focus on those memories, and see if they'd come to him. For some reason, he was curious to see what he had forgotten; and with a bit of thinking, maybe why he had forgotten. 

 

About two hours later, the female finally leaved. Sehun already felt better when he heard her car drive off. Junmyeon didn't hesitate to come upstairs soon, to check on the younger male.

 

"How are you?" He asked, sitting on the bed.

 

"I'm fine, thanks for asking. In the end she left, huh?"

 

"Yep. I hope it's alright I left you alone. But you could have stayed with us." The older spoke sincerely, and Sehun could see it.

 

"It's fine! Don't worry. Really." The younger slightly flinched as his phone buzzed. He was confused as to who had messaged him, and grabbed his phone, opening.

 

"Who is it from?" The male asked, looking at him.

 

Sehun froze as soon as he opened the screen and read the sender's name, feeling his stomach twist and his heart skip a beat.

 

Areum.


	2. A storm is coming

One hour had passed, and Sehun still hadn't opened the message. He didn't know if he was scared or didn't want to, but Junmyeon tried talking him into it, yet to no avail. He had waited with such intensity to get a sign from Areum, and when he got it, it was like all the hope collapsed. 

"You really should see what she says. Maybe she wants you back." Junmyeon said, offering the other a cup of water.

"Or maybe she says we're over." Sehun muttered, sighing deeply as he drank out of the water. He was angry at himself for being afraid to open a message. But he couldn't stop thinking about what was going to happen next: that message could be either a second a chance, a new start, or the end of everything he had accomplished with Areum. All that, because he got drunk one night and she got mad at him.

"Sehun, trust me when I tell you it will be fine! There's nothing to fear!" The older male gently placed his hand on Sehun's shoulder, giving him small shivers. Before he could say anything back, another memory struck him, playing in front if his eyes like it was the day before.

He was with Junmyeon on the street, walking. The older male had his arm wrapped around Sehun's, helping him walk, since he was limping. Tears were flowing down the younger's cheeks, and he was sobbing. After just a few seconds of walking, Junmyeon spoke. He said the exact same words he has just told Sehun earlier. "Trust me when I tell you it will be fine!" Right after they were said, the memory ended. Sehun was puzzled: why did he remember that all of a sudden. Why was he limping? Why was he crying? He couldn't remember anything outside of that.

"Alright, I'll open it." The male muttered a few seconds later. He didn't want to seem vulnerable, at least not after what he remembered. He wondered if Suho knew these memories Sehun kept getting.

With much hesitation, Sehun opened the message. "Hey, Sehun. I hope you are doing fine. I messaged you to let me know that I will be thinking... about the future and all. I need time. You really hurt me that night." A sigh came out of him. He showed the message to Junmyeon, slightly relieved that she didn't tell him it was over between them. Yet, he wondered, how much time Areum meant she would need. Time is relative to the viewer. For some, a second is a second in it's own sense, for others, it feels like a minute.

Clouds were gathering on the sky, and a thunderbolt struck, leaving a loud bang behind.

"And I wanted to work in the garden... how about we watch a movie?" Junmyeon asked, smiling at Sehun. "It will make you feel better, I promise."

"Alright. Any movie in mind?"

"How about.. Train to Busan?" The older male said, smiling.

"Sure, uhm... Zombies. Yay."

The two got set in the living room. While Sehun looked up the movie on the TV, Junmyeon went to the kitchen and prepared more cups of noodles for them, bringing them and placing them down on the coffee table along with chopsticks. 

"Thanks." Sehun said, smiling and grabbing a cup. Junmyeon was surprised; Sehun wasn't the type to express gratitude. He just nodded his head, sitting down. The movie started, and Sehun began slurping on the noodles. The more it went on, he got closer to the older male without realizing. 

"Oh, no." Said the younger when the first human zombie appeared, frowning a bit, not really putting much shock into it.

"You little faker." Junmyeon teased him, and they both laughed. The sky eventually got dark and the heavy rain could be heard through the walls.

"Let's hope we don't run out of electricity." Junmyeon said. Right a few seconds later, the electricity went out, leaving the boys in twilight. 

"Smooth, golden-mouth." Sehun spat out, a smirk on his face. He laughed a bit afterwards, awkwardly staring down at his noodles as he fiddled them with his chopsticks. "Yeah..." Lightning struck nearby, a sudden loud bang filling the silence. "Damn it." Sehun said, tensing up a bit.

"Didn't know you were afraid of thunder."

"I have no problem with it if it's far. I don't like it when it's close."

"Makes sense." The older said shrugging. He finished his noodles, placing the cup on the table and grabbing another one. He made three for each of them, but they had gone cold most likely. 

Sehun felt awkward, and didn't know what to say. There was no TV to hold their attention, so they had to speak, something the younger male didn't feel like doing. He still felt bad for being a waste of space in Junmyeon's house. 

"I'll be right back." The older said, getting up and going God-knows-where. Sehun sighed, grabbing his second cup of ramen. As he stared at the floor, another memory came back to him, and he succumbed to it's image, wanting to see everything.

The two boys were sitting in the dark, in what seemed to be Junmyeon's old house. They were in each other's arms, which puzzled Sehun.

"I'm sorry for not being there earlier." The older male said, keeping Sehun close.

The male realized it was in the near future of the previous memory, where he was crying.

"It's okay.. it's my fault anyway."

"No! Don't ever say that! These idiots are out of control! You did nothing to them." Junmyeon said to Sehun, who was once again sobbing. "If they lay one more finger on you I will deal with them.."

"No, I-"

"Sehun, no! You don't deserve to go through what they're doing to you!" The older male pulled Sehun close to him, kissing his forehead. "I'm here for you. Always."

The memory suddenly ended. Sehun felt his cheeks burn, and they were visibly red. He didn't understand how he could forget so much: but now understood why Junmyeon helped him. Have they been together, or was that just affection that the older male showed but the younger never returned? It wasn't long until Junmyeon returned.

"What should we do now? The electricity is not coming back soon. Not with this weather." Junmyeon said as he sat back down. He continued eating his second cup, while Sehun was at the third.

"I was hoping you'd tell me. It's YOUR house, you know what you have around." 

"Hm, you're right I guess.. I think I have a set of monopoly laying around."

"Are you serious?" Sehun asked, giving Jumnyeon a stare.

"Yeah." The older male replied, getting up. "Come on." He gestured for Sehun to follow, and they went up to his room. The younger male made himself comfortable on the bed while Junmyeon searched for the game. After about a minute, he found it, and they began playing.

"This is like the old days, isn't it?"

"Yeah..." muttered Sehun, thinking about the memories he had recovered. He began thinking about the possibility of them being repressed, but wondered why they would be that way. What happened between them that made him want to forget everything so much that it actually happened?

"Sehun? It's your turn to roll the dice. Oh Sehun! Wake up!" The younger male flinched, sighing and continuing the game.

"Sorry, I was just... thinking."

"About Areum?"

"Yeah, something like that.." The male lied, looking down at the board. He was afraid that if he made eye contact, the other would know he was lying. If anyone knew how to read his expressions, it was Junmyeon. Sehun rolled the dice, moving his pawn on the board afterwards and buying a property. The image of Junmyeon kissing his forehead kept repeating itself inside his mind, clouding his eyes from the reality, as if the two sights were overlapped.

"This is actually.. kinda boring." Junmyeon admitted, sighing. Sehun bobbed his head in agreement, furrowing his eyebrows as he packed the game up back in it's box. 

"Can the electricity just come back?" Sehun muttered, sitting his head in his palms, a hum escaping his lips. After a few moments of silence, an idea came in his mind. He wanted to try meditating; perhaps it was going to help him 'unlock' more of his memories. His friend was obviously going to question what he was doing, but like the misterious guy he was, Sehun didn't have to give him an explanation and it would be okay. He crossed his legs, placing his elbows on his knees with his arms going upwards, two of his fingers touching. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, feeling the scent of the room spray Junmyeon was using.

"What are you doing?" The older inquired, rising an eyebrow and pressing his lips together in curiosity.

"Isn't it obvious? I am meditating." Sehun murmured, his eyebrows curving slightly, hinting how he wanted silence. The male wasn't really fond of meditation, but for the moment, he didn't know any other way to grasp his memories. The background static began getting diffuse, and a small floating sensation filled Sehun's body. He felt like he was going to see something, until a large yawn formed on his face, causing Junmyeon to screech and laugh.

"I think you'll fall asleep if you keep trying." The older man said, mocking Sehun and nudging him; the younger male rolled his eyes, bashing the bed with his palms. At that pace, he wasn't going to willingly tap into any of his memories too soon. "What are you so frustrated about? You know you can tell me."

"Nothing, really. I just wanted to try meditating and see if I accomplish anything. It doesn't really make sense how these monks do not fall asleep considering you practically relax and rest yourself. Like, I feel drowsy as soon as I shut my eyes." The younger complained, almost dismissing why he had begun meditating in the first place. Junmyeon was about to speak, an evident grin on his face, when the power came back on. Sehun felt somewhat reassured by the occurence, supposing he had avoided yet another mockery from the other.

"Finally.." Junmyeon uttered his satisfaction, arising from the bed and moving towards the door. "Come on, let's watch some TV!" He offered, smirking and leaving the room. A small smile blossomed on Sehun's face as he stood up and followed down the stairs, entering the living room and settling on the couch. Junmyeon surfed the channels, eventually stopping at a movie. The two watched, sitting relatively close to each other.

So the day had passed, nothing special happening.

 

The next day, Sehun woke up feeling well-rested. He had, once again, slept in Junmyeon's bed, while the other slept on the couch. He still felt bad about it, but he knew he couldn't change the older man's mind. Making his way downstairs, he was surprised to see that Junmyeon's girlfriend was there again. He wondered what she was doing there early in the day, but then spotted a clock on the wall and was surprised to see that the time was almost 11 in the morning.

"Hey, Sehun." The female spoke, waving at him. 

"Hi. Ji Yoo, was it?" Sehun mumbled, not bothering to look at her as he made his way inside the kitchen.

"Yeah.." she replied, rolling her eyes. "I can't wait to eat some of your food, baby." Spoke the girl afterwards, rubbing her hand against Junmyeon's back, who smiled at Sehun.

"Good morning! I hope you slept well!"

"I did. Your bed is comfortable." 

"Shouldn't you be the one to sleep on the bed, honey?" Jiyoo said, looking over at her boyfriend and putting on a concerned look. Sehun frowned. Although she was right, it was impolite coming from her. 

"I tried telling him that, but he just won't listen. You know him."

"Yeah, I do, better than you maybe. From what I've understood you two haven't talked for a while."

"Yeah, we haven't..." The young man had never been so mad at a female before. He was then convinced that the bad vibe he had got from her was true; she seemed to intentionally want to insult and mock him. Once Junmyeon was done cooking, he gave both of them plates. They began eating, and the female gave Sehun cold glares from time to time. He pretended he didn't notice them, although they were filling him with rage. After a few minutes, Jiyoo stood up.

"I'll be right back, excuse me." She apologized before leaving to the bathroom. Sehun tracked her with his eyes, his eyebrows curving into a frown. After one minute, Junmyeon said he needed something from the storage room, and Sehun offered to get it. The male got up, and on his way, he stopped by the bathroom door as he heard Jiyoo talk inside.

"Yes. Everything is going well. He has agreed to pay the most part my house renovation, but of course, it was hard to convince him. There is only one problem. There is this guy, an old friend of his. He's a loser who got kicked out for drinking and Junmyeon took him to live with him. He is practically taking care of that idiot, so less money for us. I'll most likely need to find some method of dealing with him, but don't worry, I have my ways. I'll call you later. Bye!" The man was infuriated; his teeth and fists clenched, and he felt like he was going to explode. Quickly going to the storage room and taking what Junmyeon had asked for, he afterwards returned with it to the man and sat back down, his eyes switching to Jiyoo as she returned.

"Babe, should we go now?" The female asked, looking at Junmyeon. "You know we planned we'd go shopping today."

"Yeah, we.. we did. I forgot to tell you, Sehun. I'm sorry." The older male apologized, and Sehun could see that he was honest. On the other hand, his girlfriend was a deceiver, and he had to find a way to prove it.

"It's alright! You have fun. I'll just.. stay here."

"I think you should come too. Perhaps it's not a good idea for you to stay here alone." The woman suggested, and Sehun frowned.

"I'd never steal from a friend! I know that's what you meant!" He spoke aggresively, and Junmyeon stepped in.

"I know you wouldn't, don't worry. You can stay here if you want, but if you're feeling alone you can come! Also, do you want me to buy you anything?"

"No, thank you. I don't want to.. nevermind... just have fun, okay?" Sehun muttered, getting up and going upstairs without looking back. The other two walked outside.

"I think he's taking advantage of your kindness." Jiyoo whispered to Junmyeon as they walked towards his car. Sehun watched them from a window, sighing.

"He'd never do that. I know Sehun really well."

"Yet he barely knows you." The female said, getting inside the car, and Sehun heard that. As much as he disliked her, he thought she was right about that thing. He hadn't had any contact with Junmyeon in years. At that point, maybe his girlfriend did know him better. But she was no good, and he was going to expose her, one way or another.

Not for himself, not for pleasure, not for hatred. For Junmyeon's good.


	3. Thunder Strikes

It had been a few days since Sehun got to meet Junmyeon's girlfriend. She hadn't shown up around, but the male instead left to meet her, leaving Sehun alone in his house. The younger started helping Junmyeon in the garden, and surprisingly discovered that he had a natural green thumb. It also calmed him whenever he felt stressed, which was on quite plenty of moments. Areum didn't message him in those days. She told him she'd need time, but as impatient as he was, he hoped that time would be as short as possible. His head felt light on several occasions, as more bits of his memories with the older returned to his mind. They were all random moments, so he couldn't make much of them, but they all gave a strong sense of affection, which made him wonder even more if there had been something between them as teens. 

 

It was a Monday afternoon. Outside it was lightly raining. Sehun was lying on the couch, cuddling under a blanket with his phone. He was scrolling through news articles, all sorts of either interesting or messed up news showing up. He sighed as he closed the browser and locked his phone, putting it down and staring at the ceiling. Junmyeon had gone out to shop for stuff. He said he wouldn't meet with his girlfriend, but he had taken a pretty long time so far. Sehun flinched when he heard a car stop in front of the house, but a shiver got sent down his spine instantly; the engine sound wasn't the same as Junmyeon's car's one. He ran to a window and saw Ji Yoo get out of the passenger seat. From the driver's side got out a man who seemed pretty buff. They entered the gate that Junmyeon left unlocked since Sehun was there, approaching the front door. The young male bit his lip, quickly running to the kitchen and ducking behind a counter. He could hear the door creak open, and then the female's voice. "Hello?" she called out. Sehun kept silent. The male that accompanied her scared him, but he also knew it might be his chance to catch Ji Yoo without her mask. 

"Tsk, that loser isn't here. Can't believe Junmyeon trusts him. Come on." she said, walking inside. Sehun could hear her light heel steps, followed by heavy, shoe steps. He carefully peeked around the counter, seeing the two standing in the hallway. He quickly pulled out his phone and started filming.

"Alright. Junmyeon keeps spare money in a vault. It's hidden in the living room. I was able to see him introduce the code to it. I will open it, meanwhile you stay on guard. If Sehun returns, I hide and you beat him until he can barely breathe. If he doesn't, it's even better, as we can blame the stolen money on him."

The young male felt countless shivers crossing his spine. He felt like he was in danger. He had a chance to get out of there. He had filmed enough to have proof against her. He heard them move to the living room. His legs had gotten numb from crouching, so he reached and grabbed the counter to get up. While doing so, he touched and flipped over a pan. His eyes widened, and the footsteps stopped. His heart began beating rapidly, and his eyes turned to the nearest escape route: a nearby window. All the adrenaline that began getting pumped into his blood made him launch to the window, opening it then quickly hopping out through it. He sprinted to the fence then struggled to climb it, eventually getting on top then jumping off. In that time, Ji Yoo and the other reached the window, seeing him disappear behind the fence. 

"Come on, let's take the money fast." She said. 

 

Sehun had ran as fast as he could. He exited the neighbourhood street and ran towards the city centre, stopping when he reached an alley. The adrenaline effect began fading, and so he started to feel pain in his left foot. He injured it when he had jumped off the fence. He groaned, holding it with his hands. The  rain got him wet, and he rested against the wall. He was about to call Junmyeon, when the car of the two sped past the alley. He was relieved they didn't see him. His heart raced inside his chest. 

After about 10 minutes of picking himself up, he got up and began walking back to the house. He looked around, to make sure they wouldn't show up again. In the distance, the house looked big and was easy to be noticed. As he watched it, another memory struck him. 

He was sitting on a bench with Junmyeon. 

 

_"When I grow an adult, I will get a big mansion. With a pool, many cars. And I'll have you over as often as possible." Spoke Junmyeon, causing Sehun to laugh._

 

_"I'll make sure to invite you to my trailer as well." he chuckled. Junmyeon lightly punched his arm._

 

_"Hey, stop it. You're not going to live in a trailer. You're one of the smartest people I've seen."_

 

_"Perhaps, but my financial status can prevent me from going too much."_

 

_"My parents and I are more than happy to help you out financially, and you know that. You're like family to us. My parents love you like their son."_

 

_Sehun couldn't help but let out a nervous chuckle._

 

_"I know. And I am incredibly grateful for that. But I feel awful about getting money from you guys. You have better things to spend it on."_

 

_"Are you kidding? My dad is a millionaire, I'm also surprised he has so much empathy left."_

 

The memory ended with that. Sehun had a small smile on his face. Junmyeon's dad was indeed a very loving man. He cared a lot about his family. A family Sehun was part of. 

His eyes widened when he approached the house and saw that Junmyeon's car was parked in the yard. He quickly walked inside, and saw the older male sitting on one of the couches. He approached. 

"Thanks god you're-" he stopped himself when he saw no one other than Ji Yoo appear from behind the wall, sitting next to Junmyeon and rubbing his shoulder. He seemed upset. 

"Bold of you to show up here!" she spat out at the younger. 

Junmyeon got up, walking into the hallway and looking at Sehun with cold eyes, who realized that only the man had left, most likely with the stolen money.

"I'm guessing you took those money away... How could you do this to me?" The male muttered. 

"W-what?" muttered Sehun. "I didn't steal your money! She did!" he said. The female put on a shocked face.

"Shut up! I gave you a home! I cared for you! And all that just so you can steal from me!? She was right about you." Both Junmyeon and Sehun began tearing up.

"Junmyeon, just listen! I can prove it!"

"Get out! I called the police! Just go out into the streets. You're not welcome here anymore. Your wallet is on the drawer on your left."

Sehun was speechless. She really did it. She successfully framed him. He gave her a cold glare before grabbing his wallet and going outside. He walked into the street and began walking towards the city centre. He wanted the police to show up so he could show them the recording and prove his innocence. He felt miserable, and all that because of a seductive thief. 

As he walked, Sehun could hear the sirens approach. His body was going numb with anticipation. It was then, the cars showed up from a corner. He stopped and rose up his hands, holding them in the air. The officers quickly stopped and ran to him, pinning him down and cuffing him. No words said.

 

At the station, Sehun was put in a temporary cell. He was to be interrogated soon. His wallet and phone were taken to storage. He had to get the officers to look in his phone, since it had the proof to his innocence. All the officers walking around gave him anxiety. 

Soon, after being taken to the interrogation chamber, he remained silent.. Two men were with him. He expected it to be a "good cop, bad cop" situation, but they both seemed to be good cops. 

"What determined you to steal those money?" Asked one of them, leaning over the table. 

"I did not steal them." 

"Sir, you have assaulted a female and taken the money away. If you admit that you did it, and tell us where you took the money, it will all be easier."

Sehun bit his lip, looking away at a random point on the wall.

"I refuse to talk until my phone is checked."

"I beg your pardon?" 

"You took my phone to storage. Check the last video that was shot with it. It's evidence that I'm innocent."

Both men sighed, looking at each other. 

"Don't try anything." Said one of them, leaving the room and leaving the young male with the other. Suddenly, the word "assaulted" replayed to Sehun. Did Ji Yoo actually lie about assaulted? He only hoped the cops would comply and actually check his phone. After some time, the officer returned. 

"I can't get your phone right now, but I will later. So, back to your cell. Sehun clenched his teeth, getting up and letting them cuff him. 

 

Once in the cell, Sehun sat down on the bed and just stared at the wall. A tear rolled down his right cheek. He was afraid that he lost Junmyeon forever, and was also scared for him since that thief fooled him into keeping her close. He just started praying that it would go well. To whom was he praying? He didn't know. Whoever listened, he hoped they would answer. 

As he just rested, he began getting memories again, but this time they were kind of faint and blurred. He couldn't think clearly at the moment, so he just decided to close his eyes and try to sleep. He needed to pass some time until the cops would actually check his phone.

 

About two hours later, the male woke up to the sound of the bars being dragged. He saw one of the officers from earlier, who did a head gesture towards the exit. 

"You're free to go. You were right. Here." spoke the man, handing him back his phone. He could feel relief filling him as he thanked the officer and walked out. 

 

Junmyeon just sat down in the living room, his head buried in his palms. He was feeling awful for trusting Sehun, and was convinced it was his fault. Little did he know, for the moment. He quickly raised up his head as he heard a knock in the door. A tear was flowing down his cheek, but he wiped it away and got up to get the door. As soon as he opened it, he was pushed out of the way. Three police officers walked in. 

"We're looking for Park Jiyoo. Is she here?" Asked one of them, to which Junmyeon shook his head. 

"No, she left about 15 minutes ago. Why?" 

"She is to be arrested for stealing, attempted murder, and framing." The male's eyes widened at the words. 

"What? What are you talking about?" He asked in disbelief, to which the cops shook their heads. 

"Sir, she stole your money, together with a man. Your friend, Oh Sehun, filmed it, and was almost attacked by them. He proved his innocence with the footage. We could let you see it, but why would we lie?" Spoke the officer. He sighed and eventually handed Junmyeon a phone. 

"It got sent to all of us so we can see the suspects' faces. Here you go."

Junmyeon watched in shock. He couldn't believe his girlfriend wanted to steal from him. And then, he realized, that she had been using him all along. He felt awful. He had blamed Sehun for nothing. But he knew he still had a chance to talk to him. He felt, or maybe just hoped, that Sehun would forgive him. He waited for the police officers to go, then left about 5 minutes later. 

 

Sehun was walking on the street, wanting to go to Junmyeon's home to talk to him. He knew they could fix things between each other, and wanted it more than anything. He both liked Junmyeon and didn't want to be seen as a thief, something he wasn't. He had a pretty bad feeling though, that lingered and crippled him. He felt as if he had dodged a bullet, but was going to be hit by the rest of the cartridge. As he neared the neighbourhood, he had to cross the street. As soon as he stepped into the road, a car showed up speeding past the corner, coming right at him. He stopped in the middle of the road, fear locking him in place. He was completely frozen, and so the car came. It eventually rammed him, throwing him onto the hood. He then rolled over and fell down on the asphalt.

 

All he could hear was muffled screams, before his head took a final hit against the concrete and everything went pitch black. 

**Author's Note:**

> More chapters will come, this isn't the whole story.


End file.
